


shadow preachers

by orphan_account



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Past Lives, Angst, Awkward Crush, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Oblivious, Rey Needs A Hug, Warlocks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-22 09:41:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14305947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Kylo Ren is tasked to kill a disobedient town's only healer, he hesitates and lets Rey get away. As punishment, Snoke curses him, he is doomed to kill Rey in every life time, the only way that the curse will be broken is if Rey falls in love with him.





	1. Life #1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kylocatqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kylocatqueen/gifts).



Fenfaus River was the newest place to set up shop in the village of Takodana. It was understandable why. Trees with leaves of many different colors sprinkled the sides of the river, the light shifting different colors as it cascaded down through the trees. This is where Rey decided to set up her shop. Before Rey came, Takodana had no doctor, or healer, or apothecary. Kids died of influenza, and tragedy was something that was no stranger to the town. Now, there was not a day that went by when Rey made sure that everyone was healthy.

Rey’s day always started the same way. She would wake up as soon as the sun started rising, get dressed, and go downstairs. Finn, the baker’s apprentice, would come by with a batch of pastries each morning for her to eat. They would eat and talk for a good hour before he would be back on his way, and Rey would return to her routine. After that, she would go to the woods, harvest the herbs and flowers that she needed, and walked around on her daily stroll. Sometimes, she would find eggs in the forest that had been abandoned by their mothers and take them in. She would nurse them while she waited for one of the Tico sisters to come back and take it to their Creature Menagerie, and then she would open up shop. 

Today was different though. When Rey woke up, she knew that something was wrong. She could feel this darkness looming over the edge of something, far enough away to not be a threat, but close enough that it was a cause for concern. The first thing Rey did was cleanse her room before she got dressed, and then she went out into her shop. There was a tall, shadowy looking man standing in her shop, looking around. “Excuse me, sir? Can I help you?” He looked around before setting his eyes on her. 

“I was wondering if I could talk to the healer in town here.” 

“You’re talking to her.” There was a hint of irritation in her voice after hearing him say that. 

“I don’t like that tone.” He said. 

“I don’t care.” She told him. “My tone is my tone and if you want my services you’ll deal with it.” 

He took a step forward, “Do you know who I am?” He asked. 

“No, I don’t have the faintest clue.” She said, “And even if I did know who you are, I would have the same tone if you were being rude to me, anyways what would you like?” Rey was already sure that she didn’t like this man. There was something about him that was odd. He was too polished and clean looking to be from around here, he was probably richer, and that dark energy that she felt when she woke up was circling around him in waves. 

“Oh,” He looked a little awkward, probably wondering if he had offended her. “Do you just have tonics for humans or do you have things to heal horses too? My horse and I went through the marshes a day ago and she’s sick now.” 

“I have something that might help.” She said. “Give me a second.” She grabbed a bag of feed from under her counter and handed it to the man. “Give her two handfuls of this when she’s eating for two days straight and she should be back to normal.” He looked at the whitish sack that she had handed him. 

“What’s in it?” She rolled her eyes. 

“It’s feed.” She said, “with a healing spell that’s mainly used for animals that have stomach pains and lethargy.” This still didn’t seem to be enough for him, but he handed her a small back of gold coins and left her shop. She didn’t think anything of it that day, but she found the interaction a little weird. Other than that, she went on her way. 

***

Kylo Ren wasn’t sure why he was instructed to kill the only healer in Takodana. At first, he was fine with the mission, and then he saw who the healer actually was. The healer was a nineteen year old girl, young and bright, with her hair in thee knots behind her head. Something about her screamed innocence, and unknowingness of everything going on around her. 

It made him uncomfortable, so he abandoned his plans, and bought something from her instead. He stuck to the shadows of Takodana, knowing that most of the villagers were put off by black magic, and Kylo didn’t need to be caught by anyone. He stayed out until night,  before he saw that the girl left her Apothecary, a green cloak over shoulders. She looked around, her eyes flitting around her surroundings to see if there was something wrong. 

Then she walked towards the woods. Kylo followed her, walking briskly behind her into the woods. At this point, Kylo was trying to find a reason to kill her at this point. One wrong thing that would constitute what he had been tasked to do. He wasn’t sure why he was so hesitant, usually the assignments that Snoke gave him were not ones that he felt the need to question, but this felt a little wrong. She was a doctor, there was nothing wrong with her actions. Nothing he could see yet. 

So he followed her, going deeper and deeper into the woods as she walked along the trail. 

***

Rey knew that the man from the shop was following her. She didn’t know why, but she had picked up a glimpse of him as she walked along the trail. She wondered how long he was going to let her walk before making himself known. Rey veered severely off the path that she had chosen in an attempt to shake him, but he didn’t make himself known. 

Finally she had enough. “Why are you following me?” She didn’t turn around, she knew that he was here. He didn’t say a thing. “I know you’re there, don’t try to deny it.” She turned around. There was nothing behind her except leaves. Leaves and darkness. The darkness swirled in a foggy like way, and from it, the man from the shop came out. 

“You’re very perceptive.” He told her. Rey was fingering the knife that she had strapped to her side earlier. Not that she needed it. 

“Who are you?” 

“Kylo Ren.” He answered. He was significantly cooler than he was at the shop. A dark, furry cloak, over his shoulders and long hair ending at his shoulders. 

“Why are you following me?” 

He didn’t answer that question, “You know,  I wouldn’t expect such a powerful witch to limit herself to a small town like this.” Kylo was a pale man, with angular yet elegant features and eyes that were much older than his face. “People can’t usually detect the cloaking spell that I used.” 

“You didn’t answer my question.” She told him. 

He was odd, his eyes fixed on her. Meanwhile, Rey looked for an out. “You’re the only doctor in your town, is that right?” 

“Yes.” She said quickly. 

“You must be smart to build up a business at the age of nineteen, good for you.” This wasn’t making any sense to her. 

“What is this about?” 

“Your town leader has not submitted to my boss’ needs, I was tasked to kill you.” He watched as she stiffened, ready to fight. “Relax. I’m not going to.” She blinked several times, confused. “I would go back home. Watch your back. I’ll say you got away.” She was still standing there, frozen. “Go!” 

***

 

Kylo knew that he probably shouldn’t have let her go, but there was something about her that made Kylo second guess himself. She was strong, had this potential that intrigued him, if he could go back and get to know her more, he would, but he couldn’t. He knew that he was in for it when he went back to Snoke, he just didn’t know how bad it would be. 

Snoke’s lair was dark, and red and smelled like blood from the last people who came to talk to him. The first thing he said when Kylo entered the lair was, “Why have you come back empty handed?” He asked. Kylo swallowed, readying himself for what was going to happen next. 

“Sir,” He bowed down for him. 

“Explain yourself, Ren.” Kylo clenched his jaw. 

“She got away, sir.” 

***

Rey had forgotten about the encounter in the woods for the next few days. She went about her same routine, even found a dragon egg in the woods during one of her nightly strolls. Rose came along to her shop to pick it up. “Are you ever going to come over to the Menagerie?” She asked. “We have an influx of eggs, and you've always said you wanted a dragon.”

“I know.” She said. “Just not now. I don't have enough space.” Rose pouted, but accepted this answer. “Maybe someday.” She sighed. Rose nodded, bid her farewell, and left. 

That evening, Rey went on her nightly stroll again. Something was wrong. Someone was watching her. Something familiar crept up on her shoulder. She turned, slashing her knife into an arc of darkness, seeing Kylo’s form solidify behind her. “Oh, it’s you.” She calmed down, but only for a second. 

He lunged at her, the darkness whipping at her ankles and curling around her like ropes. She wondered what had happened to make him change his mind about sparing her, but soon focused on something else. Staying alive. The darkness wrapped around her but Rey focused on something else, something that she never  _ wanted  _ to do. She focused on his organs, and deprived his lungs of air. It took a second for him to drop her, but when he did, she ran. He got up and followed. 

Something was wrong. Rey remembered seeing his eyes as he tried to kill her. They were different. The dark brown eyes that had met hers in the shop were now red. Rey jumped over a tree branch and Kylo followed suit. It seemed that they run to an impasse. The babbling waters of the Fenfaus River ten feet below them. 

“Stop running.” He said. “Just accept that I have to do this.” Rey could feel the darkness. Found the energy in the nature around her. She focused again. This time going for his heart, and with one sweeping motion of her hand, he contorted painfully and fell to the ground with a thud. He was dead. 

She stood there for a second, the dawn of a sob on her lips, before she fell to her knees, staring at the dead man in front of her. Rey felt sick,  _ this was self defense. It's fine.  _ It wasn’t fine. Rey never enjoyed taking a life.

Something was off, as if things were rippling around them. Changing. 

Rey wasn’t entirely sure if she should be afraid of what happened next. “May you find peace.” She said. “In the next life.” 


	2. Life #2

Rey didn’t know what the outside looked like, she had never seen it and she couldn’t even imagine what it would be like. The only thing she really knew was the yelling of her master’s voice and the same, menial tasks that she had to do each day. Users of magic were used to make mining a lot easier here, and that was why she was here. She never thought that she would get to be free, but one day there was an explosion, and sunlight streamed in through the dark holes that they were stuck in. That was also the day that Rey stopped being able to see.

Now, a year later, she had gotten used to using her other senses to get along just fine. She got along just fine stealing from rich people that were riding along the side of the road in their fancy horse drawn carriages.

Rey was sitting by a rock in the lake that she regularly waded in when she met her first friend. By the sound of his voice, he was a rather big man, she didn’t know what he was doing but she guessed he was off by the shoreline. “Fair lady!” He shouted. “Are you in need of assistance?” He probably thought that she was lost or something.

She looked around for a minute, trying to pinpoint his location. “No.” She shouted. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” She said. “Quite fine,”

“Okay then, I just wanted to warn you that there’s a search going on right now for a man by the name of Unkar Plutt? Is there any chance that you know him?” Rey never thought that she would hear that name again.

“Yes.” She said. “I know him.”

“Could you come out to the shore so that the two of us could speak?” Rey nodded, and waded through the pond up to the shoreline. It must’ve become apparent to him that she was in fact, blind. “To your right.” He said. She moved a little to the right.

“Sorry.”

“No problem.” He said. “Now, you said that you know this Unkar Plutt?”

“I used to be his slave.” She told him. He was silent for a minute, perhaps she made him uncomfortable. “Why are you looking for him?” She asked.

“We’ve been instructed to gather all the slave masters. They are to be crucified at the Queen’s capital.” He told her.

“Well I’m afraid that you won’t find him.” She said. “One of his former slaves killed him in an explosion a few years ago.”

“Well good, the man deserved to die. I guess I shall be on my way.”

“Wait, sir. What’s your name?”

“Finn.” The man said. “I work as a knight at the capital. You?”

“Rey,” She said. “I don’t have an occupation.” Rey smiled for a second awkwardly, she wasn’t sure what else to do. It had been a long while since she really talked to people. “It was nice meeting you.”

“You too.” He said. “If you want I can take you back to my home, give you a warm place to stay. A cold front is coming in soon, and I would imagine that staying out in the wild would be quite hard.” Something in Rey’s heart welled up, she had never been given an offer like that before. She didn’t tell him that she had been through these winters before.

“Can I?” She asked.

“Of course.” He grabbed her hand. She was about to reject, but decided against it. He was being kind.

    “Thank you.” She told him, “just let me get my cloak and we’ll be off.”

***

    There was always something missing when it came to Kylo’s life, and he wasn’t sure what. Purpose. Love. Anything really. He was sure that he should be happier than he was, he was a prince, and princes had everything that he needed. He tried first to fill that void with magic, he’d discovered that he was talented in the craft at a young age. When he heard his mother and father talk about it in hushed whispers in their chambers. When the dark magic tore a hole wider in his heart, Kylo did not know what to do.

    And then one night came when he was looking out at his window, down at the people in the street and torches that flickered against the darkness of night. The knights were coming back into town when he saw one, riding with a girl on the back of his horse. She held him tight as they rode along. It wasn’t that unusual for the nights to bring prostitutes with them as they went back to the castle for the night, but there was something oddly familiar about the sight of her.

    _“May you find peace in the next life.”_ Kylo had a splitting head ache, and he wasn’t sure why. He went back inside for the night, laying down in his bed and trying to sleep for a third time that night, but when that came to no avail he found himself roaming the castle for a while.

    He didn’t expect to actually see the girl in one of the hallways on the first floor. That feeling of familiarity only grew more upon him as he looked her up and down. She looked lost. “Hello?” She called out. Kylo was close enough to see that she was blind by now.

    “Yes,” He called out.

    “Uhm, sorry. I went outside for some fresh air and I don’t know my way around here. I’m looking for Finn’s place? Do you happen to know where it is?” Kylo did in fact know where Finn’s room there, he nodded, and then remembered that he couldn’t see that. He put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her in the opposite direction. “I’m sorry if I was interrupting a nightly stroll or something.” She said.

    “It’s fine.” Kylo said. “I haven’t seen you around here before,” He said.

    “I’m not from around here.” She told him. “Finn offered me a place to stay while the cold front went through. I hope that that was okay.”

    “It’s perfectly fine.” He said, “A charitable thing to do in fact.” The girl smiled, it was bright and infectious and Kylo felt his head go for a loop as he watched her. “May I ask your name?”

    “Rey.” _You will be made to find her in each life time._ “Yours?” _In each lifetime, you will destroy each other and repeat this vicious cycle lest she fall in love with you. Lest there be true love._

“Kylo,” He said.

She went cold for a second but then she asked, “The prince?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I’m sorry your highness. I didn’t-”

“You don’t have to do that.” He told her. “It’s late.” He found Finn’s room. “Here you are.” He knocked on Finn’s door. “Have a nice night, Rey.”

“You too, Kylo.”

***

Rey felt a familiarity about the man that escorted her back to Finn’s place. She found herself sleeping in a bundle of blankets, warm with food in her stomach, thinking about him. She wasn’t very sure what about him made her feel off, but she was very off when she thought about it.

For the next few weeks, she took her same nightly stroll, and Kylo would appear at some point and lead her back to Finn’s room. Each night they would have some sort of conversation, some times insightful or stilted, but it was sort of nice. “So you used to be a slave?” He asked her once.

“Yes,” She said. “A long time ago. Three or four years ago, I think. I’m pretty sure that I’m twenty one now.”

He was silent for a long time before he said, “I could never imagine what hell that must’ve been like, you are very strong for being able to go through that.”

“I think the thing I hated the most was how lonely it would be, in the dark. Even after I was freed, I was still lonely. I’ve never really seen the light or anything around it because I was in darkness.”

“The one thing I do know is what feeling lonely can feel like. It’s devastating.”  Rey liked to think that maybe, just maybe, the two of them could become friends for as long as she stayed there. “But maybe you don’t have to be alone anymore.”

“Maybe you don’t have to be alone anymore either.” She started to trust him, though. She could be relaxed around him.

    This night was different from the rest, though. She could tell that he was unstable, he was shaky. “Are you okay?” She asked. He was silent as they began to walk around the corridors.

    “I’ve been having nightmares.” He said. “Sorry, about that.”

    “It’s fine.” She reassured him. “Would you like to talk about it?”

    “I’m not sure that talking would help.” The only sound that Rey could hear was the tapping of their boots against cold stone. He seemed nervous, and she wasn’t sure why.

    “Are you sure?” She asked, “I have had my fair share of nightmares, they might not be as vivid as yours are but all the same, I can understand what they’re like.”

    He was silent for a while before he asked. “Have you ever felt that perhaps you may have had a life before this?”

    “There are many elders that believe in past lives.” She told him. “In the mines, there was a belief that if you were poor in this life, it meant that you were not worthy and sinful in your last.” Rey took a step forward. “I never liked that belief though.” She told him. “I like to think that I try to be the best in each life time. Do what I have to to survive.” She was silent for a minute, before saying, “Sorry, I’m rambling. Why do you ask such a thing?”

    “Because.” Kylo said, “I would have glimpses, of an alternative version of me. I was wondering if it was possible for it to be glimpses of a past life.”  

    “Oh? And? Who were you in this past life?”

    He was silent for a long time before he said, “A monster.” Rey didn’t know what to say to that, just kept walking. “In this past life, I did dark magic.” He said, “I was consumed by it, even.”

    Rey wondered if this would be the time to tell him that she was a practitioner of magic, if maybe, she could reassure him that the faults of a person in their past lives were not at the fault of a person in their present life. She kept her mouth shut. Rey wondered if she had said something, would it have turned out differently? “I keep having the same glimpse. Over, and over again.” He said. “And it’s one that tells me that I should kill you.” Rey froze, hoping to god that this was some sort of sick joke. “I don’t want to do this.”

    “Then don’t.” She said. “You don’t have to listen to whatever is telling you this.”

    “I want it to stop.”

    “We can get you help. You’re a prince you could hire a magic user to help you,”

    “It won’t stop.” He said. Rey really didn’t want to fight back, but she knew that she was going to have to. But before she could do anything, she felt this dark force wash over her, seizing hold of her body before all her senses washed away, and her body went limp.


	3. Life Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time that they were close, but not strong enough.

Everything was corroded or dead. That was the life that Rey had known so often. For the longest time, she would look out of the tower that she was in and see nothing but darkness, ash lifting up in the air. She was sure that she was the only one alive for the longest time, and that was lonely. But sometimes she heard whispers, things in the shadows, as she stayed in the room of her tower. But she wouldn’t dare go out past everything else. 

Then one day she saw him. A man, in the distance. 

At first she got a sort of eerie feeling, just seeing this shadow in the distance, staring at her like it knew her. But it grew into this reassuring thing. To know that there was someone else out there, even if they were to shy to come around. It stayed like this for weeks, until one day she yelled out into the dust and ruin, “If you wish, sir. You could come talk to me. I haven’t has a soul to visit with in a while.” 

There was no answer. She thought she may have been insane. The next day, someone yelled down from the ground. “Is it true that someone else lives?” Rey ran to her window and looked down to see a man, way down on the ground. He looked so small from there. 

“Yes!” She shouted. She felt like she was about to burst. 

“Really? That’s nice.” He was almost laughing as well. “I’m Ben. You?” 

“Rey!” She said. 

“Well, Rey. Do you know if there’s a way to get into the tower? It’s quite cold down here.” Rey froze. She was silent for a while before answering.

“I don’t know.” 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” 

“I mean I don’t know.” She looked back towards her room. “There’s no door here.” She told him. 

“What do you mean?” 

“There’s no door in my room. I’ve just always been here.” He was silent for a long while, and Rey was starting to wonder if she had made him mad. “I’m sorry.” She said. “I wish I could help you. I really do, but I can’t.” The man looked around. 

“It’s okay.” He told her. “It’s just, cold. There’s a lot of things happening down here.”

“I know.” She said, she looked over to one of the many chests that was in her room and opened it. There was a bundle of blankets that she always kept with her. She grabbed two warm, fuzzy blankets from the chest and said. “Look out.” There was probably a more tactful way of doing it, but Rey threw the blankets out of the window and down to ground where Ben was. 

“Thanks,” He shouted back at her. “Do you by chance have any food with you up there?” 

“I have some cheese, and a block of ham.” 

“Can you spare some?” Rey wrapped the block of cheese up and walked to the window, and dropped it. 

“Watch your head!” She shouted. 

“Thank you!” He said. “Do you mind if I camp out here for the night?” He asked. 

“No.” She said. “Stay as long as you like.” She said. “It’s too lonely up here.” 

***

Ben had been down on the ground, staying next to her for about a week now, but Rey felt like it had been longer. She felt like she knew him already, and she didn’t know why. There was some sort of comfort in knowing that he was there. That she would have someone to talk to when she woke up in the morning. 

Rey wondered what she would do if she was alone again, and without him. One day Ben said, “I wish I could get up there. See you in person.” She bit her lip, knowing that this couldn’t happen. “It’s lonely down here. And cold. The shadows hurt.” 

Rey wasn’t sure exactly what that had meant. “What do you mean that the shadows hurt?” 

He was silent for a moment before saying, “You don’t want to know.” He said, “There’s nightmares, hounds, other things. I don’t think I can stay here  forever.” There was silence for a long time. Rey was starting to wonder if he’d left. “Rey?”

“I’m here.” She said. 

“I’m scared.” He told her. “I’ve been scared my whole life, but this time it’s different. I don’t know if I can keep on.” Rey wasn’t sure exactly what to say to that. 

“So am I,” She said. “But you make me less scared. So please, please hold on. We can figure this out together. I can get you up here. I just have to think.” Rey turned back to her room and she started to go back through her chests. Sometimes they would fill with random things and Rey never questioned it, just went with it. She dug through tons and tons of things. Finding a bunch of bits of strings and a bunch of clothes and blankets. Rey found a pair of scissors about thirty minutes into her search. She hoped to god that this would work, that she would finally find a way to be together with someone. She just wanted a friend. 

Rey spent all night weaving together strips that could be strong enough to hold Ben. Tying knots together and praying to god that it would work. It seemed that she had finished at just the right minute, because Rey heard the wind start to whip and howl. Rey tied the makeshift rope to her bed post and threw it over the edge. “Ben!” She shouted. She could see the man fighting amongst other shadowy forms. “Ben!” She shouted again. He turned quickly and saw the rope and jumped to get to it. Rey kept praying to whoever had sent her this company, that they would let her keep him. That they could be friends, at least.

 

Rey should have known better than to hope, though. 

 

Ben started climbing, pulling and tugging at the rope. Rey pulled him up as fast as she could, but he was so heavy, and Rey wasn’t strong enough to keep him up. It didn’t take long before the rope was starting to break, and Rey was wrapping more of the rope in her hands to try and save him. 

 

That's when something happened to her, a searing pain in her head. Images flashing in her head of a former life, it was like she was experiencing things outside of her body. Seeing her kill him, seeing him kill her.

 

Rey let go of the rope and it snapped. 

 

Ben fell to his death. 

 

For a second, Rey didn’t process what she had fully done. She listened to the sound of shadows feasting and stood there, frozen in silence.

 

He didn't scream when he fell. 

 

Just accepted it. 

 

Rey hadn't though. 

 

It was then that she realized that she was alone again, and Rey cried, for the longest time, it seemed that days, maybe weeks had past when she was truly done crying. Only an hour had passed. When she was done, she just felt numb. She wanted it to end, and when the winds started howling again she was sure what she wanted to do. It was then that she squeezed out of her window, planting her feet on the window sill. 

 

Then she jumped. 


	4. Life Ten Pt: 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one time this might work

The 1700’s was a different time, things were changing and evolving in ways that Rey never imagined would happen. Rey was born into the body of nineteen year old, knowing all the other lives that she had had before this one. Now she walked down the cobblestone streets that used to be a river so long ago. She entered a library, always fond of the way it brimmed with magic and energy. 

She always did the same thing, waiting in her library for the man that would come through the door one day. He appeared to her as Kylo, as Ben, over and over again and she didn’t know why. She didn’t know why he always showed up in her dreams. What was even worse was that every single time they fought, this man seemed like he didn’t even hate her. So what was the problem? That was something that she needed to ask him. 

The problem was meeting him. 

Rey had no way to find out where he lived or if he was Ben or  Kylo or anything like that. So she stayed in this library, and she waited. The library was good company too, wizards and witches came into find books that suited their needs, they would take them, and once their need for the book was done, the book would return back to it’s place.

It was four years of this before she finally saw him come into her shop. He immediately went to her desk, dressed fancily, shoes polished and suit prim and proper. Rey blinked for a second, she knew his face so well at this point, but it was different seeing him in person each time. “How can I help you sir?” Rey asked. His face did not dawn any recognition. He didn’t know her. 

“I’m looking for a very specific book, I was wondering if you could help me.” 

“Well, that is my job.” She said. “What are you looking for?” 

“There’s a book about how to break curses here, it was written by the father of Armitage Hux, but it says that it has no author. Do you know where it is?” That was simultaneously a vague and specific suggestion at the same time. 

“I believe so. What kind of curses does this book tell you how to break?” She asked. 

“Dark magic. Blood bound curses, that sort of thing.” He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, following her down one of the hallways that often appeared in the library, down into the dark arts parts of the library, that she rarely ever showed to anyone else. 

“Down here.” She said. “Is there anything else that I can do to help you?” The man shook his head no and headed further into the library, and Rey stood still in her place. He turned around when he was halfway into the dark arts section. 

“Is there any reason that you’re still here?” 

“Sorry,” She said. “I don’t let people I don’t know go unsupervised in the dark arts section. I hope you understand that.” He nodded and headed back towards the book that he was looking for. “May I ask why you’re looking for this book?” She asked. 

The man paused. “I’m not sure.” He admitted. “I just woke up with the strange urge to find it. Have you ever had that before?”

“Yeah,” She admitted. “I’ve always wondered why that happened.” He shrugged and picked up the book, clutching it close to his chest. “Is it okay if I check this out?” 

“It’s fine.” She told him. “It will return when you no longer have a use for it.” He nodded and left. Rey wasn’t sure if she would see him again, but that night when she closed up the library and started walking home, she could sense him there in the shadows. He was where the light of the moondragon lamps couldn’t reach, just out of sight. 

He must’ve underestimated her. Rey turned on a street that was two blocks away from her actual apartment, turning sharply on her heels to deliver a right hook to the man that was stalking her. He fell to the ground. “Fuck!” He shouted. Rey nearly laughed, but then she remembered that in another life, this man had tried to kill her several times. 

“Why are you following me?” He rubbed at his jaw before getting to his feet. 

“You seem familiar.” His eyes were slightly haunted as he stared at her. 

“That’s not a reason for you to stalk me!” She shouted. His eyes widened. 

“Calm down, people are sleeping! You’ll wake them.” 

“Give me a good reason as to why you were following me or I’ll scream.” She said. “I’m waiting.” 

He paused for a second before looking her up and down, and saying, “Don’t you feel like you know me? I feel like I know you. It’s like a memory locked in a part of my brain that I can’t quite remember, and I want to remember. I just don’t know how.” He must’ve realized that that sounded weird because he started to back away from her. “I’m sorry.” He said. “That must sound really creepy. Please just go about your day. I’ll leave you alone.”

“You don’t want to remember it.” Rey said. He had started walking away from her before she said that, but stopped. “Trust me. You really don’t, Kylo.” The man turned.

“How do you know my name?”

Rey started walking down the uneven street, hoping to get away from the man. Maybe if they were always separate from each other, they wouldn’t want to kill one another. 

If they left each other alone, this sick loop would end and the both of them could live out full lives. “How do you know my name?” He asked again. Rey still didn’t answer, just trying to put as much distance as she could between her and Kylo. 

It would save the both of them, it had to. She hated this. Hated the thought of going life after life destined to kill the same man or be killed by him. She didn't owe him the chance at another life, but his living was the cost of her peace. This had to end. Rey was tired. 

Something else had other plans for them.


End file.
